1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to enclosures and, more particularly, to guards for shielding the components of electrical enclosures when the electrical enclosures and/or their surroundings, are being covered with a coating, such as paint. The invention also relates to electrical enclosures which employ guards.
2. Background Information
Electrical equipment such as, for example, relays, circuit breakers, electric meters and transformers, are typically housed within an enclosure such as, for example, a housing, such as a box or cabinet, to protect the electrical equipment. Such enclosures can be employed, for example and without limitation, indoors on the surface of a wall or within a prepared opening in the wall, or outdoors on an exterior wall of a building. Regardless of where the electrical enclosure is employed, it is often desirable to paint or otherwise cover the electrical enclosure and/or its surroundings (e.g., without limitation, the walls of a building) with a suitable coating (e.g., without limitation, powder coating; stucco; plaster). Such covering can be undertaken to improve the visual appearance of the enclosure and its surroundings, for example, by helping to “blend in” the enclosure with the wall or other structure on which it is mounted. It can also serve to provide a protective coating, for example, to resist rusting of the electrical enclosure.
FIG. 1 shows an example of an electrical enclosure which is a meter cabinet 2. The meter cabinet 2 is mounted on a wall 3 (partially shown), and generally comprises a housing 4 having opposing sides 6,8, a back panel 10 extending between the sides 6,8, a bottom 12, and a top 14. The sides 6,8, bottom 12, and top 14, have flanges 16,18,20,22 (shown in hidden line drawing), which extend respectively therefrom. The flanges 16,18,20,22 are nailed or otherwise suitably coupled to the wall 3 in order to secure the cabinet 2 in the desired position with respect thereto.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a panel assembly 24 of the cabinet 2 (FIG. 1) includes at least one bus bar 26 (two bus bars 26 are shown). The bus bars 26 are electrically connected to the meter socket 28 of the cabinet 2, as shown in FIG. 1, and are supported on a panel 30 of the panel assembly 24 by a bus bar support insulator 32. Switchgear, such as the circuit breaker 34 shown, can be electrically connected to the bus bar 26 at or about electrically conductive stabs 36 which extend outwardly from the bus bar 26, as best shown in FIG. 2. The circuit breaker 34 is held in place on the panel 30, at least in part, by panel teeth 38, which generally extend inward from the opposing sides of the panel 30 and engage a recess 40 at or about the base of the circuit breaker 34, as shown in FIG. 2.
Contractors who install electrical distribution products, such as the aforementioned meter cabinet 2, sometimes paint or otherwise coat the cabinet 2 and/or the building or other surrounding structures with the cabinet 2 installed (e.g., coupled to the wall 3), and with the cover (not shown) of the cabinet 2 removed (see FIG. 1). The exposed electrical components (e.g., without limitation, bus bar 26; bus bar support insulator 32; electrically conductive stabs 36) of the cabinet 2 are susceptible to being at least partially undesirably covered, for example, by over spray associated with a painting process, which can significantly inhibit the performance of the electrical components.
In an attempt to avoid undesired painting or other covering of the electrical components, a wide variety of materials such as, for example and without limitation, cardboard and paper, have been temporarily and somewhat arbitrarily employed. However, such materials are flimsy and tend not to stay in place, particularly when subjected to the forces associated with, for example, spray painting. These materials are also generally not reusable. Moreover, they must be trimmed and or taped, glued or otherwise secured to the cabinet in order to sufficiently cover the electrical components. This undesirably adds time and expense to the painting process, and can leave an undesirable residue (e.g., without limitation, sticky glue residue).
It has also been known to employ covers on electrical enclosures for reasons entirely unrelated to the protection of electrical components from being unintentionally painted or otherwise coated. For example, shields made from electrically insulative materials (e.g., without limitation, rubber) have been known to be installed over live electrical components of electrical enclosures in order to prevent workers who are working in the vicinity of the enclosure from accidentally coming into contact with the live electrical components. However, among other disadvantages, such covers are sometimes difficult to remove, tending to become undesirably bound with the panel teeth of the enclosure panel assembly. Additionally, materials which might serve well as electrical insulators are often not particularly well adapted for use as a low cost solution for shielding electrical components from painting or coating. For example, many electrically insulative materials are relatively flimsy and would, therefore, be likely to be displaced by the forces associated with spray painting. Electrically insulative materials may also be more costly than desired.
There is a need, therefore, for a guard for electrical enclosures which effectively shields and protects electrical components of the electrical enclosure after a minimal amount of installation effort and time, and which can be reused.
There is, therefore, room for improvement in guards for electrical enclosures.